• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

Aussie Player Exodus

Dan54

David Wilson (68)
Thought I read somewhere it's a done deal that Genia of to NH somewhere, probably after WC.
And Riviera, SA pick players that are based in NH, I don't think it really ideal, as I see Toulon are talking about not letting Habana and Botha be available for SA this weekend as they don't have a test, not good to have players flying back and forth in week of! Think Toulon boss is getting ready to spend some money in court to stop the neede to release players for test duty, will be interesting to see how it all plays out!
 

USARugger

John Thornett (49)
Also, just for the record - Australia had 65% more senior male players than Ireland as of the last time those figures were assessed anywhere I can find (it was around the last RWC - hopefully IRB will release new figures this coming year).

While Ireland does have more players at all age groups and across both sexes this means very little when looking at the Men's National side.

The Women's Eagles got over the Wallaroos at the recent WRWC and would likely do it again if they were to play tomorrow. Shit, they've even won the whole thing in the past.

The Men's Eagles? I think we scored a try against South Africa in 2007, but that's pretty much been it so far.
 

Riviera274

Peter Burge (5)
We've been through this. Giteau has had his day. So he is tearing up the French Comp. That's no proof of ability. We saw that in the June tests.

His form in Australia in his last few seasons was declining. I wouldn't have him in this team
Actually not just the French league but the Heineken European...populated by the world's best...he is far better than when last in Australia as proven by the frantic bidding for his services...more than Dan. Carter..more than Morne Steyn..by some considerable margin
 

Riviera274

Peter Burge (5)
Also, just for the record - Australia had 65% more senior male players than Ireland as of the last time those figures were assessed anywhere I can find (it was around the last RWC - hopefully IRB will release new figures this coming year).

While Ireland does have more players at all age groups and across both sexes this means very little when looking at the Men's National side.



The Women's Eagles got over the Wallaroos at the recent WRWC and would likely do it again if they were to play tomorrow. Shit, they've even won the whole thing in the past.

The Men's Eagles? I think we scored a try against South Africa in 2007, but that's pretty much been it so far.
 

Bairdy

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Actually not just the French league but the Heineken European.populated by the world's best.he is far better than when last in Australia as proven by the frantic bidding for his services.more than Dan. Carter..more than Morne Steyn..by some considerable margin
The world's best - New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - are in Super Rugby.

He probably has improved over in France, but for the most part, it is not hard to look good behind what is essentially an international standard pack.
 

Riviera274

Peter Burge (5)
Of course! just like Dan Carter behind the AB pack! looks much better.

His time in Australia was behind a very inferior pack, so as they say in the
movies--follow the money --- and the money says he's better than Carter and Steyn and Wilkinson and Sexton who all got offered less by the moguls with the money to buy talent. And of course while Super Rugby is okay the Heineken has the pick of the world's players..AB's, Waobblies, Boks, Samoans etc etc etc.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
Without even taking into account the Championship and the ProD2, 6 nations with talent spread across 38 teams with rosters of about 45-50, is a far more diluted system than 3 Nations with 15 squads of 30-35.
 

A mutterer

Chilla Wilson (44)
Australia can't afford to squander players the way NZ,SA and England do by ignoring those playing offshore. Australia's playing base...1/5 th that of England or less than 1/3rd New Zealand's,cries out for a change in strategy. Do Ireland ignore Sexton for playing in France.Of course not.but they have More
Players than Australia.

The most valuable player in Europe by far is Matt Giteau.ignored by Mckenzie..
And a class above Cooper or Beale as Europeans know.

Crazy!!

Hi Matt. Welcome to the forums and congrats on how you've been playing in france.
 

Riviera274

Peter Burge (5)
Without even taking into account the Championship and the ProD2, 6 nations with talent spread across 38 teams with rosters of about 45-50, is a far more diluted system than 3 Nations with 15 squads of 30-35.
Except that it's really only approximately six 'super European teams' starting with the Toulon galacticos. These teams simply Hoover up the world's rugby talent because of the money and exchange rate factors....after all how many French or Springbok or Brit star players ever appear in Super rugby....and please, don't tell me WF or the Reds wouldn't sign Mermoz or Vunipola or Bakkies Botha if they could compete with French money.

The Argies are making a better fist of using their offshore talent than the Wallabies
 

Hugh Jarse

Rocky Elsom (76)
The Foreign Legions according to the NZ Herald:
Full article here:-> http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11328570

Possible French Foreign Legion
Uini Atonio (New Zealand)
François van der Merwe (South Africa)
Steffon Armitage (England)
Alex Tulou (New Zealand)
Rory Kockott (South Africa)
Brock James (Australia)
Blair Connor (Australia)
Noa Nakaitaci (Fiji)
David Smith (Samoa)
Scott Spedding (Australia)
English Foreign Legion
Manu Tuilagi (Samoa)
Billy Vunipola (Tonga/Australia)
Mako Vunipola (Tonga/New Zealand)
Brad Barritt (South Africa)
Michael Paterson (New Zealand)
Possible Irish Foreign Legion
Jared Payne (New Zealand)
Bundee Aki (New Zealand)
Tom McCartney (New Zealand)
Rodney Ah-Yoy (New Zealand)
Miah Nikora (New Zealand)
Possible Scottish Foreign Legion
Josh Strauss (South Africa).
 

waiopehu oldboy

George Smith (75)
Also

Possible Scottish Foreign Legion
Sean Maitland (New Zealand)
Tim Visser (Netherlands)
Nick deLuca (Australia)
Grayson Hart (New Zealand)

Possible Welsh Foreign Legion
Gareth Anscombe (New Zealand)

Bound to be some I've missed.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
de Luca was born in Dumfries, not sure you could count him there.

From Glasgow at least.

Residency
Josh Strauss (South Africa)
Mike Cusack (England)
Roussow de Klerk (South Africa)*

Heritage
Tyrone Holmes (South Africa)
Sean Maitland (New Zealand)
Tim Swinson (England)

Will do the Edinbokke later, as well as look at non local foreigners. From Glasgow, Maitlands a certainty for RWC, Strauss and Swinson are 50/50, the rest definitely won't.

*Won't qualify by RWC.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Of course! just like Dan Carter behind the AB pack! looks much better.

His time in Australia was behind a very inferior pack, so as they say in the
movies--follow the money --- and the money says he's better than Carter and Steyn and Wilkinson and Sexton who all got offered less by the moguls with the money to buy talent. And of course while Super Rugby is okay the Heineken has the pick of the world's players..AB's, Waobblies, Boks, Samoans etc etc etc.
When you get close to mastering the reply / quote function, I might start to take a post of yours seriously.
Or, more likely, I still won't.
 

Riviera274

Peter Burge (5)
When you get close to mastering the reply / quote function, I might start to take a post of yours seriously.
Or, more likely, I still won't.
Ah,the signs of weak argument; switch the subject to the trivial and inconsequential rather than lose.

Stand up and argue like a man,dear boy.
 
Top